Folding booth



. 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. C. ENGERT.

FOLDING BOOTH.

(No Model.)

No. 563,147, PatenterIJune' 30, 18.96

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4 Sheets- Sheet 3. C; ENGBRT.

FOLDING BOOTH (NoModel.)

Patented June 30, 1896.

MA PMUTULUNOJVASHIN 61mm) C.

(NofModel.) 4 Sheets--Sheet 4.

C. BNGERT. FOLDING BOOTH.'

NO. 563,147. Patentd Jima 30, 1896.

UNITED STATES A PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES ENGERT, OF BROOKLYN, NEYV YORK.

FOLDING BOOTH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 563,147, dated June 30, 1896.

Application filed April 13 1896.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES ENGERT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Booths, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to improvements in folding booths, especiallyT election-booths.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved folding booth, which is simple in construction, light, strong, and durable, the several partsof which at all times remain connected with each other and cannot become disconnected, misplaced, or lost, and which booth can be folded very compactly in a few moments for storage and transportation and can readily be erected for use in a few moments. j In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, and in which like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the views, Figure l is a perspective view of the frame of my improved folding booth erected for use. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same erected. Fig. 3 is a side view of the same folded. Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of the same with the covering applied. Fig. G is a perspective view of the booth, showing a modified construction of the swinging slat. Fig. 7 is a rear Aview of the frame, showing a modified style of bracing the same. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the pivot connection for the swinging slat.

The booth is constructed with the four corner-standards A,`each provided at its lower end with a metal shoe or socket B, having an apertured side lug B', through which a screw can be fastened in the iioor to hold the booth in place. f

The standards A are connected at the top at the front and rear by a brace-bar O, pivoted to the outer faces of standards, and each brace C is provided at the free end with a flat hook-plate C', secured to the inner surface and extending beyond the free end of the brace, the hook extendingdownward, and said hook-plates can be locked in place by winged nuts D, screwed on screws D', projecting from the outer faces of those standards opposite the ones to which the braces are pivoted, which screws the hook-plates engage. At the Serial No. 587,351. (No model.)

sides the braces are connected at the top by two toggle-lever braces E, each composed of two bars E', hinged to each other at their inner ends by a hinge E2, fastened on the upper edges of the bars, the outer ends being pivoted to the standards, so that the hinged braces can swing downward at the center.

A curved or bent spring-tongue F is secured to the bottom edge of one bar E at the hinged joint and extends beyond the end of the other bar to hold the jointed or hinged brace E in position when the booth is erected.

As shown, the outer ends of the hinged bars are pivoted a short distance below the upper ends of the standards, so that the hinged ends of the bars can swing under sheet-metal angle-clips G, secured to the upper ends of the standards and extending outward laterally beyond the same.

Hooks H are secured on the outer ends of the bars E.

W'hen the braces E are folded, they restl plate K, attached to the inner side of the brace,

and extending beyond the end of' the same, which hook-plate can engage a screw L, projecting from the outer side of a front standard near the lower end of the same, on which screw the hook-plate is secured by means of a win ged nut L', screwed on said screws.

A short brace-rod M is pivoted at its upper end to the outer side of each front standard' A, and has its lower end connected by a hinge M with the brace J at about the center of the latter, so that the adjacent edges of the braces J and M can fold on each other. a like manner the rear standards A are connected by braces J and M.

The rear standards are connected by a transverse brace N, .pivoted at N to the rear edge of one rear standard A, and provided on its free end with a hook-'plate O, which en- IOO gages a screw P on the other rear standard A,

and on which it can be fastened by means of a winged nut P.

The brace N is fastened to the rear edge of the desk-board Q and forms the rear ledge or back for the same. Each end of-the deskboard is cut out from the rear edge to near the front to form a shoulder R, which can rest on the inclined bracesJ, connecting the front and back standards A, as shown in Fig. l, and to each end edge of the desk-board a metal strip S is fastened to extend beyond the shoulder R to the rear, so as to embrace the brace J when the desk-board is lowered, as shown in Fig. l, and thus prevent lateral displacement of the desk-board.

In place of providing the top brace C and inclined braces J and M on the back, as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 5, thetop brace C may be omitted and inclined braces J3 M3 provided at the top and bottom, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

In place of attaching the desk-board Q to a back brace N, as shown in Figs. l, 2, 3, and 5, the desk-board Q may be hinged by a hinge Q2 to the inner edge of one rear corner standard and rest on a bracket Y on the other rear corner standard.

Vhen the booth is folded, the parts are held together by engaging the hook CZ with the pin e. (See Fig. 2.)

The booth, when erected, is inclosed by means of a curtain T, which is suspended from the four hooks II, on the ends of the hinged braces E in such a mannner that a small portion laps over on the front to form the narrow flap T', which is suspended at its upper end from a hook H on the front crossbar C of the booth. The fiap T2, formed by that part of the curtain on the front of the booth, is suspended from a hook H2 on the front top cross-bar C near that end opposite the one near which the hook H is fastened, as shown in Figs. et and 5, or it is hung at the corner of the frame, as shown in Fig. 6.

A slat V is connected by two screw-.eyes d, forming a universal joint, with one front standard about one-third of the height of the stand from the top of the saine, and the free end of said slat is held in a pocket IV in the upper free corner of the lap T2, or the slat is hinged by a spring-hinge V to a' block V2, pivoted at V3 to the front of the corner-standard. lVhen said flap is in the position shown in Fig. 5 and is released, the slat V, under the action of the weight ofthe iiap TZ or the action of the spring in the springhinge V, swings across the front opening of the booth, which is thus closed by the flap T2 and can easily be opened by bringing said flap into the position shown in Figs. 5 or 6. U are straps for holding the folded booth together.

The booth is folded and erected in the following manner: To fold the boot-h, the curtain is removed, the screws D D at the top are loosened, the hook-plates C disengaged from the screws D D', and the top front and rear braces C C are swung down against the standards, or the rear inclined braces J 3 and M3 are disengaged. The nut P is loosened, the

brace N and desk-board Q are swung up against one standard A, or the hinged deskboard, as shown in Fig. 7, is swung up, the nuts L are loosened, the hinged braces E folded down at the centers, and the standards A moved toward each other sidewise and from front to rear until they are in contact, and then they are held together by means of the straps U, as shown in Fig. 3, and by the hook d.

The booth can readily be erected by performing the above operations in reverse order.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a folding booth, the combination with corner-standards, of angle-clips secured to the upper ends of the same and projecting beyond the sides of the standards, bracesconnecting the standards at each side at the top, which braces are composed of two members hinged to each other at their inner ends, their outer ends being pivoted to the upper ends of the standards, and hooks projecting from the hinged ends of said members, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. In a folding booth, the combination with corner-standards, of inclined braces connecting two standards,which inclined braces have one end pivoted to one standard and are detachably connected at their opposite ends with another standard, and of an additional brace hinged to the edge of said inclined brace at or near the center of the same and having its opposite end pivoted to that standard to which the end of the inclined brace is detachably fastened, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. In a folding booth, the combination with four corner-standards, of inclined braces uniting the front and rear standards at each side, which braces are inclined downward from the rear to front, and a desk-board hung on one rear standard which desk-board when lowered for use rests on said inclined braces, substantially as herein shown and described.

4. In a folding booth, the combination with four corner-standards, of braces uniting the front and rear standards at each side, and which braces are inclined downward from the one rear to the front, a desk-board hung on rear standard, which desk-board has a shoulder on each end, and which desk-board when IIO in lowered position rests upon the said inclined braces, substantially as herein shown and described.

5. In a folding booth, the combination with an upright rectangular frame, of a curtain suspended from the top of the same, in such manner as to form a narrow and wide flap at the front of the frame, and a slat hung on one of the standards and extending toward the upper free corner of the wider iiap, on which wider iiap said slat is held, substantially as herein shown and described.

6. In a folding booth, the combination with an upright rectangular frame, of a curtain surrounding the same and suspended from the top of the frame and forming a narroiv and a Wide ap at the front of the frame, a slat hung at its lower end to one of the standards and having its upper free end held in a pocket in the upper free corner of the said Wider flap, substantially as herein shown and described.

7. In a folding booth, the combination with an upright frame, of a Curtain suspended from the top of the frame and forming a flap on the front of the booth, a block pivoted to one of the standards, a slat hinged to said block, a

ence of two witnesses, this 9th day of April, zo

CHARLES ENGERT.

Witnesses:

OSCAR F. GUNZ, N. M. FLANNERY. 

